  |
Michael Cage: Seeking Order out of Chaos
By James H. DeLorenzo [Originally published on the NBA.com/Phila. 76ers home page in January, 1997.] You can't play over 600 consecutive games in the NBA without people taking notice. But quietly, Michael Cage has the league's second-longest string of consecutive appearances, giving the Philadelphia 76ers a reliable "ironman" to build around. Cage (as of January 14th) has appeared in 609 straight games, dating back to April, 1989. He trails A.C. Green of the Dallas Mavericks, who has played in over 800 consecutive contests, but his accomplishment is all the more remarkable considering how it grew. No one can achieve such a streak without some degree of mental and physical toughness, and no one is more disciplined than Cage. "The things I do off the court has given birth to the streak," said Cage, who turned 35 on January 28. "I haven't changed my repertoire in the last six or seven years. It's a combination of strength and conditioning, and healthy food. I keep the same habits all year round, not just in season. "When you do something year in and year out and it works, you don't want to mess with it," Cage continued. "Being injury free and healthy means freedom. When you are sick or injured, you're restricted." Cage's career has been unrestricted by injury or illness for over seven seasons. Cage entered the league with the Los Angeles Clippers in 1984, when he was the 14th pick overall in the first round of the NBA Draft. Four years later, he was traded to Seattle, where he spent the next five seasons. In 1994, he was signed as a free agent by the Cleveland Cavaliers and, after two seasons with the Cavs, came to the Sixers as a free agent this past August. The last seven years, Cage has been on playoff-bound squads, five times with Seattle and twice with Cleveland. In 1988, he won the league's rebounding title with 13.03 boards per game. His leadership and experience were the key reasons the Sixers signed him as a free agent, along with his consistent 8.3 points and 8.3 rebounds career averages. Earlier this season, Cage noted that "when this team gets really good, I won't be here. But I'd like to be part of helping it get to that point." While the 6'9", 248 pound center/forward has a long, prosperous career, he is realistic about the future. "I'm not afraid to say that about myself or this team," Cage noted. "People tell me I'm a visionary not a prophet. Other teams take advantage of our inexperience right now, just like I used to take advantage of that on other teams when I was with Cleveland or Seattle. We used to do all those things that teams are now doing to us. We preyed on a team's weakness. But as maturity and discipline sets in, chaos excuses itself out of the picture. This team's inexperience may show a lack of discipline now, but down the stretch, with time, it will change." Finding order in chaos seems to be a special trait for Cage. At the heart of it is the Arkansas native's adherence to a health-food regimen that has earned him the nickname "The Juiceman." "Oh yeah, I take my juicer with me on the road," said Cage. "Fruits, vegetable, I get them into my body every chance I get. I'm still within 10 pounds of my weight when I joined the league 13 years ago. "This started in college," said Cage, who graduated from San Diego (CA) State University in 1984 . "I grew up in a small town in Arkansas (West Memphis), and I never thought about what I ate. I mean, we ate, but we didn't care what we ate. "In college I took a nutrition course, and man, did it open my eyes," Cage continued. "I mean, some of the things we eat, there's too much sugar, no carbohydrates. I stay away from red meat because there's no nutritional value there. Your body can't break down red meat as quickly as you think. Sure, when I go to the store, I'm not perfect. I'll have a soda or a candy bar from time to time. "But I do 98 percent of the other things. You know, when you don't eat or train right and you hit the wall, you crash hard. I practice what I preach," said Cage. "I'm not asking for perfection from people, but when you start doing these things consistently you learn. "I think it's important to know these things from people who have done it," Cage added. "I've made mistakes along the way, but I know now not to mess with my system. I've messed with it and saw what it did. I mean, there are still people out there who don't believe diet affects mental, emotional and physical health. People don't understand; they want overwhelming evidence. "I'm not trying to convince people, but people are coming to me now, because they have seen it's working," said Cage, who passed the 600 consecutive game mark against Chicago on December 21. "I don't want people thinking I'm a granola boy. There's no natural peanuts, granola and stuff in my house. I'm a normal person. If you go out with me, I'm not going to order something that you won't recognize. People are afraid that you live a Christ-like life. No one can live that way. I don't want to be that perfect." Cage's consecutive game skein is built upon this attitude, but it's a streak that does not weigh heavily upon his mind. "Once I got over 500 games, it didn't become a conscious thing. At 300 games, yes, I was conscious of it," Cage said. "I hit 400 in Seattle, and there they printed up commemorative T-shirts. I was conscious of it then because I saw people wearing the T-shirts all over town. "I got to 500 in Cleveland and then I mellowed out about it a little bit. I even lost count until someone here told me I was approaching 600. It's ironic, my 500th consecutive game was with Cleveland against Chicago, and my 600th game was with Philadelphia against Chicago." Cage intends to write a book about his philosophy and his health food program, sometime in the coming off season. "My book will expose it all," he said. "I'll answer all the questions then, after 13 years of battle-tested experience. I get letters all the time from people now. When I was preaching this gospel five years ago, people didn't listen. A lot of people are looking seriously at it now. But the timing of doing a book wouldn't have been good then, it's good now. I didn't think it was right years ago, because then I didn't have a lot to share. Now its of great interest. I see the light at the end of the tunnel." That light at the end of the tunnel is not the end of Cage's basketball career. He has stated in the past that "in order to be successful in life, you've got to have a plan and you have to skillfully execute it by making the wisest decisions." Clearly, Cage views the big picture beyond the hardwood. "This is not just about basketball. I'm thinking about being 40, which is something that's not far away," Cage commented. "I'm thinking about my wife (Jodi), my daughter (one-year old Alexis), and we just found out I'm going to have a son. We are all in this. "I'm a father, a husband. I look to becoming more of a leader in my own family first," said Cage of life after pro basketball. "And I want to increase my personal relationship with God. As far as post-basketball opportunities, I would like to get into radio or television broadcasting, either college or pro basketball. I have a strong interest and desire to that, and I'm comfortable in front of the microphone and cameras. "I have no desire to coach, but if the need arises and the NBA ever redefines the role of a player personnel director, I'd like to be one," Cage said. "I know the mentality of a pro basketball player. I've had a long career. I know the mental frame of mind, the personal, professional, media and financial questions players face. I can offer a great deal of advice, and help, to young players. I see teams investing in that more, with younger players coming into the league. I mean, strength and conditioning coaches were unheard of years ago, now everybody has one. It would be sort of like a counselor, to deal with the players and their mental stability. Some guys come in with an inability to comprehend the pro game. Our players are becoming younger and younger and need someone to help them." For someone who has found a clear path for himself, Cage could become a successful mentor to a new generation in the NBA. It's a bit of a challenge that he has embraced in the last two years, with a highly-successful motivational moment for the Cavaliers last season, and a much-appreciated pep talk to his Sixers teammates this past December. "The way I see it, when you get older, maturity sets in and chaos goes out," said Cage. "Maturity sets in, the stormy seas clam down, and the ship can sail on smooth water. Your sails are full and you're ready to go."
|
|
| ||